Beyond the Skin of this World
by Nerd4ever243
Summary: Man knows not what they need, this is the philosophy that Sasuke lives on in the world of fairytales where demons are real, damsels need rescuing... or maybe not, and magic dances over the land; it's always so much sweeter to take from man that which they deem is useless but in essence isn't at all. Now, if only he can understand what it is he needs of her.
1. Dance with the Devil

Yells reverberated through the castle as it shook from its very foundations by the barrage of blasts raining down upon it like a torrent of heavenly fire. In a room high above the ground, deep inside of the castle guarded by numerous guards, a young man with chocolate brown hair shuffled around slightly; the only indication of his nervousness after the barricade had been sealed.

"When is he going to get here," he growled, impatience dripping from his very words though he showed nothing of his emotions on his face, he was the Head Knight.

"You know how he is, or what the rumors we have heard about his demeanor say!' Another person with the same features as the male said, the princess of the castle; Hanabi, as she paced fervently, sword hilt in her grasp. "He arrives at the last possible moment perceivable," she continues, grey eyes harsh and too cold for someone her age, "when desperation is at its highest, so that others can give in to whatever he demands."

Hiashi, the current king of the Hyuga, nodded in ascension of his daughter's insight. He sat in his golden throne, calmly, as if his home wasn't currently under siege by the brutes known as ogres. Many more knights in silver armor stood scattered all over the throne room as they waited for the arrival of one of the most dangerous man known in all of the Elemental kingdoms.

Suddenly there came a tapping, a gentle rapping on the heavy wooden doors. All movement ceased, no one even dared to breathe too deeply, as their eyes seemed almost entranced by the redwood doorways.

"Well, is it him?" young Hanabi finally snarled out as she motioned towards the barricaded entrance.

"Open up," Hiashi commanded as he stood from his throne and walked forward. Two knights, in their ever shimmering mercurial armor, lifted the wooden bar that lay over the doors and pushed them open darting quickly to the sides as they pulled out their silver swords. It was as if time stood still as the entrance slowly revealed the hallway only, not a soul was in sight.

"Tch, overdramatic much," a deep melodious voice said from _behind_ them. They all turned as one to stare at the figure lounging in the king's chair as if he owned all. What they saw, however, made all but the King, Princess, and Head Knight, who only let a small look of revulsion appear before wiping it clean, step back in utter horror; the kingdom's most stoic clan actually showed some form of _emotion_ as they gazed upon the visage of the evil wizard known as Sasuke.

Almond shaped eyes with ebony sclera and four pointed honey irises regarded them with contempt plain in those demonic eyes. Worn, leathery skin stretched over what would have been handsome features if not for the sardonic smirk set on pale lips and the utter cruelty oozing from him. Long ivory canines that could rival those of the Inuzuka clan flashed before them as he sneered; the rest of his teeth where, surprisingly, the same shocking white as his canines not the putrid yellow that others claimed he had. Ashen hair with two long bangs framed his face while it sort of stuck out from the back like arrant tree brambles reaching outward. However, all that paled in comparison to the protrusions extending out from behind him, two claw wing-like appendages were flexing behind him; curling inward as they retracted the talons at the end of their fingers. It was beautifully macabre the way he seemed to resemble some sort of fallen angel as he stood up and walked to them all.

Neji's eyes narrowed as the monster, really that is all that could define him, walked to them. Reaching to his side he pulled out his sword with barely any sound rounded upon the creature. The warlock merely raised his brow in what could be described as amusement before, with a flick of his hand, he sent the young guard flying to the wall.

"You called," he said in his deceptively harmonious voice. How could something so repulsive have such a charming voice?

At the demon's prompting, Hiashi finally broke from his reverie and calmly regarded the being before him. With his usual stoic features back in place, Hiashi spoke to him, not a quiver in his tone, "The Hyuga clan is in need of your assistance to annihilate our, unwelcome, guests. We are prepared to entitle you with any finances you may need; as well as anything, that is behind reason, that you may desire." A stillness in the air appeared as both men stared intently at each other, measuring their opposing wills.

"Tch, as if; I can make all the gold I need and anything I want I take. However, there is one thing I need." In an instant he appeared behind Hanabi, whom stiffened at his presence, eyes wide in awe of his speed and fear. A hand with razor sharp talons was on her shoulder and she couldn't stop herself from releasing a shiver of fear and revulsion at the feel of callused claws on her.

"No," a voice growled and all turned to watch as Neji stood from his collapsed form on the floor.

"No?" was his response.

"There must be something else you require." Hiashi said, preventing the young Hyuga from charging at the wizard. Though, Hiashi himself was finding it difficult to refrain from activating his Byakugan.

"I need a servant and she's small enough to fit through and clean the vents." Sasuke deadpanned, smirking slightly at the look of horror that adorned their faces momentarily.

"Hanabi-sama is a princess and heir to the Hyuga Clan kingdom, no menial servant!" Neji hissed and charged at Sasuke, deftly avoiding the blast of lighting that came from his hand only to clash with a wing that protected him.

"Cease."

A clear sweet voice spoke from the darkest corner of the room. No light shone in that area and the voice that had spoken almost seemed to have been an illusion but the others knew better and by the wide eyes they had, they knew who it was. Hanabi took advantage of the situation and broke free of Sasuke's grasp to run to the darkness.

"Onee-chan!" she gasped out, almost as if she was holding back tears, as she hugged the figure that stepped from the shadows desperately. An utterly enchanting woman in a dress of deep sapphire that hugged her ample bosom before it spread like a flowing river past her hips, smiled serenely at all those gathered. Her hair was up in folds at the top and sides of her head, held together by glittering diamonds, sapphires and pearls as some of it was still let down and went to her waist. It was as if the night sky had descended and become one with her. Pearlescent orbs gazed at them from huge doe eyes giving them the impression of a glassy texture that pierced the soul, nothing was hidden from such divine eyes. Her soft oval face was framed by long side bangs as well as some bangs that barely touched the top of her brows. Soft, glistening, rose petal pink lips parted as she spoke; small demure hands petting Hanabi's earthen hair.

"No need to argue. I will take Hanabi's place instead."

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_ _So I should really be updating AitH instead of creating a new fic but this has been festering me and so far in the writitng process it's still ongoign but I have enough typed up to make this work. Anyway this is based on a particular episode of the amazing show called "Once Upon A Time" on abc/channel 7 partcularly the episode called 'Skin Deep' - that partially explains the title but the title is actually based on a quote I found online. I have a bit of this typed up while the rest is still in writing mode. Updates will be randam as usual but i have enough to maybe update a chap a week unless my Alziehmer's kicks in and I forget which most likely I will since AP tests/Senior portfolio/finals/college-prep is already killing me and I'm not helping by procastiniating. SO anyways read and review peeps!_


	2. Go Down With the Sun

**Warning: This is an AU, will contain OOC-ness, and contain mildly disturbing language/actions/thoughts**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other thing on here that might get sued. Stupid geniuses with awesome ideas **

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"NO!" the whole room exploded at her soft declaration.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side as he regarded her with partially-hooded eyes. His curiosity was piqued by her statement and declaration, not to mention her unexpected appearance: he hadn't sensed her when he appeared in the room. "And who, are you?"

She blushed slightly as she looked at him and lowered her gaze before lifting it back to meet his once again. The same demure hand that had been gently petting the princess' hair now made its way to the front of her lips as she smiled lightly at him. His eyes widened slightly, barely perceptible, as he detected no sense of trepidation or repulsion in her eyes; against his will his heart sped up slightly and for the first time in years he _felt_. Such _piercing_ pearly eyes; as if by those very eyes she was worming her way through years upon years of cold walls placed around his senses. He found himself entranced in the way her lips parted, how they pursed as she prepared to speak, how they seemed to release a sigh of breathe instead of words, how they looked like utter velvet, how they shone as she passed a cherry wet tongue over them.

"I am Hyuga Hinata, Sasuke-sama," Oh heaven hast thou never known that one of thy angels hast fallen from thy divine home for here she lays, a light among mere mortals, shedding her holy light upon thou poor lost souls, those words emerged from his head and he had stop top himself from saying them aloud, what in the bloody hell? He was not a sap and this waas frankly revolting, banishing such thoughts, instead he merely snorted and motioned with his hand for her to continue. "I am the ex-heir to the Hyuga clan throne and first born daughter of Hyuga Hiashi."

Sasuke finally let something other than amusement show at her words, confusion. He had never heard of her, he had never _known_ of her. How was that possible? He knew _everything_, or at least he thought he had. Befuddlement was visible in his very actions as he decided to see her up closer. However, at the first step taken towards her direction, the guards rushed at him; surrounding him and blocking his view of her. What was surprising though; was that Hiashi himself had drawn his sword and stood defensively in front of his daughters. Neji's own double-edged blade was at Sasuke's throat, digging roughly into his leathery skin, hard enough to draw blood on any ordinary human but then again, he was a monster.

"You cannot have any of them, you cannot have _her_. Leave the premises at once." Hiashi stated, twin ice cold mirrors staring resolutely at him.

"Byakugan," too late, by the time Hiashi heard those words he was already collapsed on the floor; limbs useless as he watched his daughter step by him. "Otou-san please do not make a fuss, I am not needed her. H-Hanabi is more important than I ever will in this situation. I do not know why you insist on keeping me here if I am useless, you yourself said so."

Hinata waved the surrounding guards away as she approached Sasuke, back turned to her father, missing the brief shamed look he gave her before he wiped it clean. She faced Sasuke, pushing Neji away with a gentle push, porcelain hand resting gently on the blade's sharp edge as she moved it. "I offer myself in steed of Hanabi," she repeated once again, staring him in the eyes.

Sasuke's bewilderment grew even more, why was she not scared of him, why was she smiling at him, why did he feel so calm around her. She seemed to exude an aura of calm serenity and he found himself… _enjoying_ it. A hand lifted on its own accord to settle against her cheek. He barely suppressed a shudder at the feel of silken female flesh, like a full bloom rose, right under his fingertips.

"I accept."

"NO! Hinata-sama you…" for the second time that night Neji was sent flying towards the wall, head hitting stone walls with a resounding 'thud'.

Suddenly the constant blasts that had been going on since morn ceased leaving an eerie hush throughout the entire kingdom. "The ogres are gone and they won't dare come back ever again." He looked at the king and smirked slightly before turning away from them all. "Come Hyuga." Placing a hand on her back he pushed her slightly to get her moving, walking by her side as they made to exit.

"N-n-no, n-no, no, _no_!" They didn't turn once as they walked away. Hinata closed her eyes as if in pain but plowed forward despite her sister's cries. "Onee-chan _please,_ do not go, _please_!" Those screams seemed to go beyond the throne room walls, past the castle, and straight to the very hearts of all who lived in the kingdom and out it; still, not a backward glance, or hesitation, from the two figures leaving. "Sayonara, arigatou, otou-san."She vanished like a beautiful dream leaving nothing but the bitter memory of so close yet so far and unattainable. Hanabi at that moment threw her pride away and collapsed alongside her father and wept, her sunny place gone.

Hinata found herself inside a moving carriage, the sound of rushing hooves being the only thing heard for miles. She had at least managed to sit with some dignity, not having fallen from the movement or surprised by it. The demon wizard was settled right across from her, staring intently at her like if she was some sort of new toy. She turned from his gaze to stare out the window towards the setting sun. She watched as the individual rays disappeared, leaving the land cold and barren. Until the moon came out in its silver glory and shone upon them, making the land of dreams become reality.

Sasuke couldn't stop gazing at her. Every emotion she felt was reflected perfectly upon her face as she lay relaxed. He had noticed that she used the smile as a sort of mask to hide her real emotions. It was very intriguing to watch her drop her mask and bask in the beauty of the night. It oddly suited her, the night sky; he continued to watch her until they arrived at the palace that was his home.

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_I was REALLY bored so I'm posting this 2 days early :3 So I'm going to start putting me AN at the bottom since I think this is where most people would read 'em if they cared to read my rants and anything else that comes to mind. First of all thank you to all who reviewed_ **Daydreamer, imorin, umnia,** _and special thanks to **Rouma Nomel **becasue your review warmed the usually frigid cockles of my heart; seriously I was grinning like an idiot after I read it and I hope I don't disappoint__ you in any way. The funny thing about this fic is that instead of coming out as the ten pages I had originally planned on it being it took on a life of it's own and I'm glad s many liked it so I will continue to share with you all what the little vioces in my head keep telling me. Now I forgot to put the disclaimer last chap but I did in this chapter as well as a warning: this is an AU the characters are bound to bee a tad OOC and if you don't like it well no one is forcing you to read it. I know I hate to read fics where the characters are too OOC so if you think so please tel me so I can attempt to fix it. Thanks to all who fav'd and alert'd but nothing says I like this fic more than a review ;D caoi toute le monde!_


	3. Nothing is Hidden from those Eyes

**Warning: This is an AU, will contain OOC-ness, and mildly disturbing language/actions/thoughts**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other material I might get sued for so lay off me already!**

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"What are to be my duties?" Sasuke looked up to face the small woman standing before him, holding a teapot in her hands as she finished pouring him a cup of jasmine tea.

After they had arrived he had ordered her to prepare tea and he was fairly surprised when she showed skill in the Art of Tea. She made the process seem like a dance, how it was supposed to be. A dim memory resurfaced from the many cluttered in his head, of a striking woman with a warm smile only for him as she poured tea; Uchiha Mikoto. Shaking his head he banished he damned memory back to the farthest regions of his mind: were they belonged. Currently the woman of interest was walking back to the tray, setting the porcelain pot down and fixing everything in place before lifting the silver tray.

"You're going to do basic housekeeping; dusting, washing, buffing, mopping, cleaning, cooking, feeding the starving children in my dungeons." He couldn't stop the small sadistic smirk from appearing on his features at the sound of metal hitting stone. She had turned to face him, a look of horror on her visage, mouth parted slightly as a choked sound escaped her lips. "I was joking."

She closed her mouth immediately and blushed furiously; it was oddly enchanting the rush of blood filling her face. Suddenly she giggled, like wind chimes in a soft summer breeze. He froze, enthralled by the sound.

"Why do you laugh?" he asked, honestly curious by this strange woman. Immediately she stopped but the smile remained, her hands coming together as her index fingers began to poke each other.

"I-I am s-sorry but I never i-imagined you as the type to jest." He stared at her before motioning at the spilled contents on the ground. She gasped and bent down to retrieve the items, completely missing the brief flash of a true smile on his lips. "I-I am s-so s-sorry!"

"Don't worry, I have many more."

"N-no I, ohm, oh see they're alright… well except for this one," Pale porcelain arms like that of the teacup she held, lifted to show him a small chipped blue cup. Wide lavender-tinted eyes looked at him filled with innocence, how had he not seen this before, she was pure, innocent despite the fact that she was living in a time full of war and violence. No, not naïve, of that he was certain but rather she was like frail Hope from Pandora's Box personified. What a strange creature he had acquired for himself. Getting up, he walked towards her, trying to make it as menacing as possible; even letting out some killer intent as well. Yet, all she showed that she felt it was a bit of stiffening of her spine, her eyes remained clear of fear or anything of that ilk. In the carriage he had deduced that she had a perfect poker face, especially behind her smiling mask, however, you could usually tell her emotions by looking into her eyes if she was relaxed; which she was at the moment. For some reason he was troubled by the fact that he didn't sense fear, even though moments before he had been relishing it as well. He dragged one clawed hand on the wooden table, letting it rest by her head. He wanted her to fear him, to hate him, to be disgusted by him. Why was she so… strange? He bent down to her level and sneered slightly at her but instead of the fear he expected she got a hurt look and… were those tears? The odd need to comfort her blossomed within him so he stood and pulled her up with him. Waving a hand over the cup he cast a small illusion on it that made it seem whole. "There."

She blinked owlishly at him before looking down, confused. "But, it's still chipped, right here."

Sasuke froze; no, no it couldn't be. He checked to see if the illusion was in place and it was. "Face me."

"I-I beg your pardon."

"Look at me."

Hinata looked up from the cup only to face crimson eyes. She felt ice all over her body as she stared into those bloody eyes and she shivered, the first ever indication of fear. He smiled sardonically as he morphed his eyes into the Mangekyo Sharingan and cast her into the world of Tsukuyomi. Before thought could even form, their surrounding melted away into a world of black and red. They stood in the middle of a clearing of woods and when Hinata glanced around she had to stop herself from screaming as her body was cast in black lighting. She stumbled away from Sasuke, shaking her head in pain while mumbling, "N-no, not t-this again, this isn't real," over and over again.

Sasuke merely watched with cruel amusement, a sick sense of pride rearing its head as he confirmed that his magic did work on her. He was about to break the illusion until he heard her say, "Byakugan."

Eyes stealing over he prepared for her to attack. So it came as a surprise when instead of an attack she stood straight and tapped an area around her neck instead. Immediately the world of artifice shattered, sending them back into the large candlelit dining room they had never really left. Shock was evident in his features as he gazed upon the deceptively delicate appearance of this woman.

"M-my apologies but I could not go through that another time, once was enough." Her soft voice broke him of his reverie of how she broke his illusion. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You've been through this before?" He hissed, blood boiling slightly. No one should have hurt her, only he could do that. Hinata nodded solemnly, fear once there; gone.

"Yes, it was an accident really but I know of it. It is part of the reason I am not heir anymore: I'm broken." He did a double take at that and looked her over; she didn't seem broken or marred in anyway. Then again she could be hiding it beneath… Sasuke stopped that train of thought as he imagined this demure woman without any clothing. A flash of heat went through his body and he looked away but not before catching her slight blush and shiver. Hinata tried her hardest not to faint on the spot after the rather intense look Sasuke had given her, so instead she brought up her two index fingers and began to poke them against each other; a nervous habit she never quite got rid of. Finally after the silence grew to the point where she began to imagine sounds and they refused to look at each other she spoke.

"I can't fall asleep and am subject to spontaneous nightmares."

He stood stock-still for a moment before a small chuckle was released, "Is that all? Just for that they took you from your rightful position as heir, fools."

Hinata gave him a slightly offended look before her gaze turned icy and she stood straight and tall, Hyuga pride making her brash. She lifted her chin at him and said in the coldest voice she could muster, "Pray tell me, Sasuke-sama, how _I _can lead a kingdom if I have extreme anxiety and paranoia due to my lack of sleep, not to mention, start screaming for no apparent reason because I was subject to nightmares in the middle of the day?"

"True but there are medications for that and let's not forget _I_ exist. One more thing," a cold hand suddenly gripped Hinata's throat as he leaned in, "Do not talk back to me in such a manner." He let her go but not before he got a good smell of her scent; lilies and lavender with an undertone of water, truly a unique scent. His face went to its usual stoic self as he went back to the matter at hand, "Now how did you break it?"

Hinata made to turn from him in wounded pride at his obviously quicker speed and strength; however, Sasuke gripped her arm, harshly turning her to face him. He didn't quite calculate his strength and instead sent her crashing into his chest. A small 'oomph' escaped past her lips as she slammed into him, making her glare up at him in utter defiance. Her reaction once again brought up that infuriating question: why was she not afraid of him, was even _daring_ to glare at _him_! Then she began to struggle against him, rubbing that soft voluptuous body against him. Lust, unbidden, rose in him; oh god how long had it been that he had felt a woman's flesh against the palm of his hand, against his own chest. You'd have to be dead, or prefer something else besides women, to ignore one such as her. Hissing slightly he grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes, not that it would help, intentionally making it rough. Good gods what was this unbidden vixen doing to him? She struggled a little more, even stamping on his foot to make him release her, but it was to no good; so with another glare at him, she sighed in defeat.

"Magic has never worked on me," she began, anger making her forget her stutter, "certain types still manage to get through, however, they never last or I notice them and break them. Even before I developed my Byakugan; I was able to walk through magic, break spells if I wanted, and see through illusions. It's something in my blood, something I, only I, have inherited from my mother." Sasuke mulled this over in his head, a particular person; well they really weren't people, coming to mind as he heard her.

"Tch, fine, go to your room; you begin work tomorrow." She nodded her head and turned to leave but as she took a step, she looked down to see the forlorn looking teacup on its side where she must have dropped it when Sasuke sent them to the illusionary world.

"Oh…ohm, what about the teacup," she asked as she bent down to pick up the chipped porcelain cup, holding it cradled in-between her slender fingers.

"Leave it," he glanced at it and smirked slightly at how though it had a defect it was still very beautiful, much like the one holding it. "I'll place it somewhere else," he said, turning from her to look at the fireplace.

"Okay… goodnight Sasuke-sama." Frowning at the formality the woman seemed to always speak with he turned while saying

"Call me…," he stopped as he saw no one there, "…Sasuke." She was gone.

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_AN: I forgot to say this last chapter but I'll say it now. Constructive criticsm is appreciated! Now to those little boys and girls out there who do not know, a flame is not CC: the former is rude, crude, and frankly shows a grand sense of immaturity from the one who does one because most flames are usually anonymous; the latter shows that a reader cares for the work that an author is making and is trying to help the author improve so not only they can enjoy the story more but also other readers. Why did I go on a rant just now? Simple really, a person I deeply admire was flamed and while I cracked up at the sheer stupidity some people can come up with, said person was deeply affected by it so I basically wanted to impart this message: word is just one letter away from world and with words we can unite nations and people together in one front, but with words we can also destroy what could have taken decades to do. Use your words wisely they can make or break things; afterall it's not all the beatdowns you remember in highschool, rather, the serpent's sharp tongue's sting like that of a thousand needles to your heart of a peer's words. _


	4. 温故知新 Onko Chishin

******Warning: This is an AU, will contain OOC-ness, and contain mildly disturbing language/actions/thoughts**

**Disclaimer: As of right now I OWN Naruto... okay I don't I also don't own anything on here that might get me sued so lay off.**

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_"By asking old things know new things." ~ Confucious  
_

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_~1 week later~_

Hinata woke up at some indeterminate time; there were no windows in her room, or any other room for that matter. It seemed that the only rooms with any source of outer lighting was the veranda (which was naturally outdoors), the hallways that bordered the walls of the house, and the dining room; though the latter could be excluded since the maroon curtains were always covering the windows and seemed _bolted_ to the stone walls. Sighing in relief that at least she knew she woke up earlier than Sasuke-sama, Hinata got up from bed to enter the bathing room that was included in the room. She was astonished to learn that Sasuke used the nearby stream as his water source and by simply turning a knob his magic installed in the castle walls heated the water so baths could be taken anytime. Something she rather enjoyed, thank you very much, the Hyuga preferred to take as many baths as was permitted without tiring the staff half to death. As he entered she thought of all that had passed since she arrived one week ago. Shivering she recalled the first day that had been… disastrous to say the least. The reason she was so relieved to have awoken earlier than him was simply because on the first day he had come into her room and woke her with a shock, literally, he had sent a small charge of lightning through her.

_'It's not enough to kill or harm you,'_ he had told her, expression completely stoic. After that incident she had made sure to wake up before Sasuke that is if he even went to sleep as she had seen over the past week; he had forwent sleep for 2 days straight. After that event on her first day at the palace things had went downhill from there; apparently Sasuke did not like sweets, or anything close to them, so the apple tart she made for breakfast was ignored. Needless to say after that she went about cleaning the dining room as fast as she could, which was no hassle really since she had loved to help the Branch House members in cleaning when she could, but the lack of sunlight was depressing; there was a reason the Hyuga were named as they were. Once she had finished sweeping, mopping, dusting, and polishing everything in sight she repeated the process in the waiting room, kitchen, bathing rooms, until she finally arrived at the bedrooms. It was just afternoon, she had just finished serving Sasuke lunch, and she was almost finished with the last of the rooms until she came to an ebony door that just screamed 'Sasuke's Room' to her.

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As she pushed the door open she felt a small tingle go through her but paid it no mind since some of the other rooms had done that as well but nothing had occurred. Stepping in she was immediately enveloped in darkness, so dark she could hardly see the hand in front of her own face, wait, she narrowed her eyes as she heard something rustle by her trying in vain to see anything so she activated her Byakugan… and she screamed. Putrid yellow slit eyes regarded her with amusement, a long flickering forked tongue almost brushing against her nose as she stared at it with wide eyes.

_'A morsel, how thoughtful of Sasuke,' _it hissed _in her head_. She let out a half choked yell and backed away from it as fast as she could, white hot fear making her stumble and incoherent as her mind screamed to run away. _'This'll be fun,' _and it stroke at her, only to stop about halfway due to the chakra laced hand near its neck, almost cutting him from the length of chakra streaming out from it.

_'A Hyuga! How delightful, I haven't laid my eyes on one of you in a long time. Such beautiful eyes you all have.'_

"You're in my range, Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata's hands went flying as she tried to hit the creature's abnormally _human_ chakra paths; there was no semblance of an animal's chakra system. She managed to hit some chakra points but no vital ones as the creature was actually able to _shift_ its chakra points and even its organs.

_'Nice try my dear but your no match for me,'_ this time the voice came from her backside as another snake materialized behind her even though there was one already in front of her, her Byakugan enabling to not only letting her see it appear from the floor but that it's chakra paths were very real, not a clone. Crap! She couldn't use a Kaiten here, it would destroy the room even a small one would destroy the floor and something told her that Sasuke would be really pissed off at that; then again she'd rather live and face said wrath than be dead. She couldn't use the 64 Palms on both of them at the same time due to their shifting abilities not to mention she was a little worn out due to the chakra used, she needed to practice more. With her Byakugan she saw as one of the snakes made to attacker, snapping her from her rambling thoughts cause by the rush of fear and adrenaline coursing through her body. There was nothing she could think of doing and she was hesitant to use the Kaiten which she was immediately regretting as both snakes closed in with a speed that would beat even the fastest of soldiers. However, she was shocked when the instant one of them touched her, instead of strangling and devouring her, one snake puffed out of existence while the other reared back in pain, shrieking incoherently as it reeled back.

_'Curse you! I knew it was too good to be true; the wards falling, the traps void, my flesh pealing! A null! Where did he get a null from?' _Hinata blinked in confusion as the snake's ramblings of a "null" and "stupid Uchiha", whatever those were, it was no longer interested in attacking her as it slithered back and forth; vaguely resembling a pacing man in deep thought. Suddenly, it snapped its head in her direction; she was proud of the fact that she didn't show anything at that and only stared back at it, and hissed, _'Of course he might not know what you are, he never did pay attention to my discussion of other beings.'_

It chuckled darkly after its statement and Hinata was sure that if her skin had a mind of its own it would be crawling away right now. She hadn't deactivated her Byakugan but it still caught her off guard when the snake appeared in front of her though she saw it move, though it was even a blur to her senses, at a safe distance from her; unblinking eyes staring at her with amusement.

_'I am Kabuto but I fused myself with my old mentor Orochimaru, Sasuke's old mentor as well. As you can tell I was… put away but when you stepped in the wards fell so you have my thanks. Let's keep what happened here between us, now if you would be so kind as to open that door for me we can both get on with our lives.' _

She didn't know what had happened with the snake's mind when it had touched her but it certainly had screwed with its head. No, listening to this creature just reeked of mal-intentions, there was no reason it should leave its prison because after all, if Sasuke had deemed it too dangerous to kill then it needed to be put back away. With those thoughts in mind she lunged toward it without further thought, hand outstretched as she reached for its neck. Reeling back with a hiss, it tried to bite her hand in instinct before it recoiled on pain once more as her hand touched the inside of its mouth and jaw. Shifting her hold on it to its neck, she glanced around before spotting the giant glass case it must have been inside of before marching to it, dragging the snake that struggled feebly in her grasp. Hefting it up she began to shove the snake into the case, just barely realizing how _immense_ it truly was. She needed both hands just to lift it and shove it head inside before using the rest of her body to shove the rest of its body inside. By the time she got to the tail not only was she covered in sweat but also sloughed of skin and scales from wherever she touched it. Kabuto had stopped struggling after a while, she assumed because of the pain of having its flesh skim off like ice on melting water. Breathing a sigh of relief, she shut the glass close and steeped away from it before turning around only to let out a small shriek as she came face to face with Sasuke. An eyebrow quirk asked the unspoken question of what she was doing as his arms were crossed across his chest.

"I…uh, I-I came to c-clean but instead a giant snake attacked me," she squeaked out from under his droll stare, "I f-fought back b-but I didn't kill it, it c-couldn't touch me and no I d-don't know why."

He studied her briefly before grunting and walking past her to go towards the glass case. She backtracked to the opposite side of the room her back pressed against the wall as she sagged in relief. Watching him with mild interest, she saw him mutter a few words under his breath before snapping his fingers, turning the once glass case to shimmering silvery steel.

"Titanium, one of the strongest metals ever created by magic and stronger than anything chakra can make," he turned to her, eye brow quirked in query once again, "Something you broke along with the wards and other things in my room." Stalking slowly towards her he glared at her full force; watching her stiffen, whether in anger, fear, or both, he did not as her head was down which angered him. "Why is that?"

"I-I do not know," she whispered softly, head never looking up from the ground as she rubbed a hand against her wrist. "I a-already told you i-it's something I got from my m-mother's side of the family."

Growling at her he flashed next to her position by the wall of his room where he threw a punch that cracked the wall by her head, making her jump slightly but not look at him. Grabbing her chin he forced her head up to look at him in the eyes, while making sure not to harm her with his talons. "Bullshit, there's something else, _but what_?"

Suddenly, those pearly lavender eyes that had been blank before filled with rage before she snapped at him with an irritated expression. "If I knew I would have told you already!" her breathing sped up along with her anger making her brave despite her proximity to him. "I don't know anything about my mother; I was barely the age of 5 when she passed. Even then she had been a mystery to those of the Hyuga, except for my father but even then, even then she was a anonymity to him."

Sasuke stared into her eyes for a while, then releasing her abruptly, he turned from her and extended a hand towards the door. "My room has a spell that keeps it clean." _'Something I'll need to renovate once you stepped in here along with everything else,'_ he grumbled to himself. Ushering her out, once she stepped outside, he sealed the door close before getting to work on the disabled magic that lay around. Sighing in exasperation, he shot a glance to the metal case that lay at the farthest reaches of his room; he could only thank his ancestors for Kabuto being so weak due to the long years of imprisonment. Shaking his head slightly he set to work muttering incantations that had become second nature to him while thinking about his… troublesome servant.

_'That woman is going to attract more trouble sooner or later,'_ right on cue he heard some crashes from below, probably the dungeons that was quickly followed by a scream and a variety of other noises that included barks, howls, hisses, squeals, yelps and other animal noises; seems like she found the experiment room.

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_AN: Damn I'm getting used to putting these thing on here lol XD Anyway if you are here then you already finished (duh, don't you just hate it when they say that I know I do sometimes) so leave a review for lil o'le me ;) kay? _

_Yeah I like to ramble, anyway, so my school is having their prom on Friday (tomorrow since I finished typing this on Thursday but I'm too lazy to post it right now) and I just look at them like "You know that's a waste fo time right?" I'm anti-social and see no need to go to a party that doesn't even give good food and will only last 'til 11:45 -_- no just no I'll make my own damn party that involves a collection of Star Wars movies and popcorn XP Have I mentioned I'm a nerd? SO I'll wrap this up and say thank you to all who reviewed: **hinatafan711**, **lona1949**, **umnia**,** Saki-Hime**,** Serene-Aspiration723** (my other kohai and cyber imouto), **Cloud Envy Shikamaru**, and **Shikamaru-Syndrome** (my kohai and my bad I was typing to update ;3; forgive me kohai!). You all make my cold heart warm with fluffyness that makes me want to puke... yes that is a compliment, ja ne!_


	5. 一期一会 Ichigo Ichie

**Warning: This is an AU, it will contain OOC-ness and mildly disturbing thoughts/actions/words**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anythign else that might but me in risk of possible lawsuit.**

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_"One time in your life." ~Sen No Rikyu_

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That had been the first day, thankfully, thing had calmed down since then and to Sasuke it was sort of… nice, having someone around the usually vast and lonely palace. Heading down towards the dining room, he could already sense a delicious aroma coming from there; he was loathe to admit it but the dark-haired woman was an excellent cook and her sweets were… tolerable so long as they weren't overbearingly sweet. Not to mention his breakfast was transformed when she showed that she could make tomato omelets among other things.

"Good morning Sasuke-sama."

"Hn," was his usual response as he went to eat his meal that was already set in front of the table. As he ate calmly, he watched as she went around cleaning the room; something that had become a daily source of entertainment for him. She moved with such grace that she made the cleaning more like a dance and the simple white linen dress and blue apron look like a luxurious dress rather than plain garments. The benefits of having a princess as a servant was his sardonic though and it was made even better by the fact that she wasn't high maintenance as nobility usually proved to be. Instead of bursting into tears at the shoddy clothes he gave then she accepted them courteously and even thanked him for the change of clothes. Of course after he had decided to sell her old sapphire dress, it would fetch a good price after all. Again, she had given no indication that she noticed it gone or that she even cared about the extravagant clothes at all.

Such… humility was quite rare in nobility and rarely shown. The question that had been nagging him all week was once again brought up as he saw her bend, in what would be an impossible angle for most, to catch something as it fell; what was she exactly. She had to be at least part human since those Hyuga eyes of hers could not be borne by something of non-human birth, but she was more than just human and he felt that the answer lay in her mother; after all she was the one who passed on her unique skills to her daughter. He would wait for her to finish first before he would ask her any questions, now that he thought of it, she never ate with him rather immediately went to work As soon as she made to exit the dining room he called out to her.

"Stop." Turning to face him, she regarded him with mild curiosity, wondering as to why he called for her to stop. "Tell me Hyuga, where there any interesting facts about your mother that stood out prominently." He never was one to stall or blunt anything or even ask for that matter, just demand a response.

A slight downturn of pink lips made him want to smirk as she threw a small glare in his direction, something he was finding incredibly fun to do and see, probably finding it offensive that he just called her mother weird. Made no difference to him, she was weird too.

"Why do you want to know _Sasuke-sama_," that was another thing, in her brief time here she was becoming quite more, vocal in her thoughts and right now he could tell he was being a thorn in her side.

"Because: you're not human, at least not fully." This time he did not hold back the smirk at her gaping affronted expression. Ah the beauty of not giving a damn about insulting people, it was something he would never lose. Half-breeds weren't uncommon but a noble half-breed, there had been some occasions but almost never, the last half-breed was a certain blonde he knew from long ago.

"I-if you excuse me Sasuke-sama I must continue with my duties," with that she lifted her head high and marched out the room before he had the chance to deny her. Snorting in amusement, he smirked once more at the thought of angering her, it was rather cute in a way; her affronted anger that is, her cheeks flushed a beautiful pink that resembled a belladonna lily, her eyes glinted like opals, those full lips would pout slightly, and she would stand tall for her rather short frame. Lifting a hand, as he heard her withdrawing footsteps, he flicked some magic onto the forgotten tea set she was supposed to take with her and sent them after her. He waited with baited breathe for what was about to happen; sure enough he wasn't disappointed when shortly after he sent them a shrill yell echoed across the palace along with the tinkling sound of crashing metal. He detained a small chuckle from emitting as he counted the seconds; he only got to thirty before a fuming Hyuga stormed, yes _stormed_, in.

Her hands were busy holding the all the items that went after her, they had been enchanted not to break after her first night here, but her face was livid; pearly eyes more like diamond steel now, lips pursed, face flushed like a ripe cherry, and back stiff as a board.

"If I t-tell you what you want- w-will you l-let me w-work?" This time he did chuckle slightly, catching her off guard as she settled the items on the dining table. At his small laugh she relaxed a bit but she was still mad! She huffed a little in irritation, he had sent flying metal objects at her, were it not for her Byakugan she could be lying comatose in the halls! Her ability to stop magic in its tracks had indeed kicked into effect but the momentum of the objects in the air had made them naturally airborne so she was grateful that her Byakugan had been activated. She blushed a little at the fact that she had it activated so she could see his face when she walked out on him but that feeling of victory had died when he sent that stuff at her. SO she hadn't been hurt but now she had to clean up tea from the carpet and that was no fun, and with that though she was once again incensed in her spot as she glared at him. Not as much as before but still he was going to pay… somehow.

_'Anybody else would be glad not to be working yet she's upset that I detained her, so strange.'_

"Your mother," he said instead of voicing his thoughts, pushing them away for more practical matters.

Sighing she sent another glare at him, something she had been doing rather much lately, he just made her so, so ugh! She couldn't describe it and it had shocked her at first since she would have never even dared to show such disrespect to anyone but he was certainly an exception. The man was infuriating as he was silent, something that she rather liked; the latter that is not the former.

"I-if you insist," _she_ looked towards the walls as she dragged her memories of the one woman who was her safe haven. "My mother was unusually tall for a woman, as tall as my father some say, I'm not sure as I was a child so they all seemed ridiculously tall. She was pale like the moon's clear light on a midsummer's night, more so than I from what I can remember. Her hair was that of a Delphinium belladonna a blue so much like a sea and her eyes, her eyes were amethyst stones not my watered down version."

She lifted a hand to touch her hair, her eyelids, her skin as she listed her mother's features, and all Sasuke could do was watch and listen; listen to the vixen's soft poetic words of memories long gone but never forgotten as her hands trailed all over her body unintentionally, and that infuriating fire that he felt when he first saw her doubled in intensity.

"Her pupils though... they were elongated, not slit like a snakes but ovals that almost spanned her entire eye. She was obsessed with nature, she even taught me how to garden, there was forest nearby that she would always stare at with such _longing_; '_It calls to me, but I don't know why_,' she would tell me. '_Someday it'll call to you too._'" Hinata took a deep breath to ease the aching in her though as the brief memories she had of her mother slipped from her mind to the darkest reaches of her memories. She may have only been five when her mother passed away but it still hurt after all these years, like the remnants of an old wound that still festered though it had already healed.

"Is that all?" At Sasuke's voice she broke from her morbid emotions as she turned to face him, a bit of annoyance there since he made her relive the moments in her life she had wished would last forever but only had been cut short.

"Yes," she answered him wearily, no longer mad, it wasn't good for her health anyway. "May I retire now?" Silence. She shifted uncomfortably as it stretched on for a while more and finally gave up and took it as her cue to leave so she turned towards the doors.

"You didn't stutter." Twisting her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder, she blinked owlishly at his compliment (?) before a mischievous glint came to her eye and she smiled at him.

"Th-thank –y-you S-Sasuke-s-sama," and she left with a small laugh at his irritated expression and the horrified look that followed after, that she managed to see with her Byakugan by the way, as he realized the wards to the animal room fell due to the howls that soon sounded all around the palace.

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_AN: __Yeah this chap was going to be longer but alas I didn't have time to type it all so since I didn't want to break my update schedule that I miraculously have kept I gave thee this. :3 it's kind of like an interlude but there's a point to it. For one it shows how their daily interaction are; he asks her something she'd rather not answer and tries not too but he manages to get it anyway and in retaliation she does something she know only he can deal with. You know I was thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that I can split this into two stories. If I do that I already have the first part is all written, complete, but what would be the sequel is currently giving me the beautiful thing we call writer's block. _-_ I want to kill it with fire since what I have in my head won't friggin come out in words! Agh it's killing me! :cough: so tell me what you think: should I split it in two or just the Hades with it and let it be?_

_P.S Read &n Review my dears! I love you all that did and they make me so happy I want to puke rainbows! I'm sorry I haven't replied but I'm busy, I do have a life no matter what Shikamaru-Syndrome says and I'll try to respond. Oh and I'm so sorry I haven't replied to you cyber-imouto but I've been preoccupied! ;3; forgive me!_


	6. 継続は力なり Keizoku Wa Chikara Nari

**Warning: This is an AU, it will contain OOC-ness and some mildly disturbing thoughts/actions/words.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that might get me sued XP so screw you!**

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_Perseverance is strength._

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Sasuke was… troubled to say the least. He hadn't heard, seen, or even sensed the Hyuga for the past couple of days, though he would never admit it even in his own head; he was truly perturbed by her absence. He was totally not worried that she ran away after all his meals were there whenever he came to the dining room and the palace was always spotless, but, she just _wasn't_ there. All he ever detected was the soft, lingering scent of lilies in the air, she was like a damn ghost and he couldn't find her with either chakra or magic not to mention she could avoid him due to her Byakugan. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? Why was he even questioning himself! Preposterous, let the little vixen brood on her own it's not like he cared… right? Right.

Snarling in frustration as he passed a hand over his face, he couldn't help but feel annoyed at her lack of presence. It seems that whatever her powers were worked on him; he hadn't noticed it at first but she was a soothing presence to him, somehow she was able to calm his usually static magic into a sense of calmness, making it better to control. Scowling once more he got up from his seat and stalked towards her room not even bothering to knock on the door to check if she was there or not. However, when he opened the door, she wasn't there but before he could leave something caught his interest; a brush lay on its side, tip still dark with ink next to a beautifully bound book he recalled buying for her. Lifting it, he remembered how he had bought it on impulse after he caught her spellbound gaze on it, after all he had taken her from her home with nothing except the clothes she had one; which he had also sold. No he did not feel guilty he just thought it would have been… nice? Yeah since when did Sasuke, the guy who shoved a Chidori through his best friend, ever think about nice: or what the woman thought of him for that matter! Gods she was so infuriating, even when she wasn't present!

Anyway the old man who had sold it to him, Isshin, had been all to glad to sell it at a good price since not many placed value on books especially blank ones. Of course once the old merchant had caught sight of his servant Sasuke had to detain himself from decapitating his only source of trade. Not many ventured to his home so it wouldn't do to lose the old man though he did glare at him to swipe the leer of his face. The lecherous old man had only chuckled and thrown a toad statue at him at "no charge" and for "good luck."

Said toad statue was currently on the desk as well next to a candle holder; it was actually rather… endearing in a way; a blue vest jacket, orange body with a giant yellow spot on top of its head, black eyes with golden slits, and a little dagger at its side. It vaguely reminded him of another person, one with golden spiky hair, cerulean eyes that turned like a toads when one with nature; shaking his head to free himself of memories long gone, Sasuke huffed in irritation before flipping the book open to distract himself. He did an immediate double take at the first drawing displayed there: it was him, well his face, drawn in heavy shadows, usual scowl in place, eyes furrowed as if he were in thought (which he was most of the time so it was hard to tell when she drew it) and… was he brooding? He doesn't brood!

_'Do I really look like that?'_

"Tch, I don't care," he mumbled out loud. Oh yeah he so didn't care that this was how Hinata saw him, totally. Flipping to the next page, he blinked in surprise at the full body shot of him in his lab pouring a substance into the wound of a wolf. Another page flip and his brow went up at a the scenic painting of the sun setting behind the mountains, highlighting the palace; another flip this time a picture of the stoic young man he had thrown to the walls, a small smile on his face; again another flip, this time a sketch of the younger girl he had been about to take but unlike her scowling face from before she was laughing in this. Image after image was revealed to him as he went throw the book, a palace, a garden, him working, animals as they played or hunted, it was oddly informative about his servant yet strangely void of it as well. They were also very realistic; he almost expected for some to come alive or even continue in the frozen actions they were captured in. Flowers, buildings, people, anything she had seen was on these perishable pieces of parchment; a window to the things she has seen and that she saw quiet well given the detail with which she drew. As he came to the end though, he almost dropped the book in astonishment and as his heart picked up, something akin to fear and nostalgia.

Tousled blonde spiky hair, sparkling laughing eyes, idiotic dopey grin, mussed up clothes, and those unmistakable whisker marks on each cheek; he set the book down and shook his head in denial, there was no way she could possible know about him and that… man. Shaking his head he shot one more look at the drawing only to notice it was the only one with a background on it, a beautiful garden filled with lilies and weeping willows. He closed the book in annoyance; was this let's-torture-Sasuke-with-old-memories day? It was ridiculous how one woman could make him remember so much that he would rather forget. Just as he was about to place it back he caught a page sticking out, it was barely protruding but enough to capture his keen senses, he was rather curious about his servant's drawing so without further thought he yanked the page out.

Flowing hair spread all over the page, so much like hers, for a moment he thought it was Hinata but this woman had eye that were more feline in appearance though they did not touch the end of her iris. Her mouth was in a small grin that revealed sharp canines but otherwise normal looking teeth on an oval face instead of the heart-shaped one of Hinata's. Long slender arms tapered off into elegant fingers with sharp nails; small waist and hips followed by long legs, she wasn't the voluptuous figure of Hinata but she certainly was beautiful. What captured his attention the most was her ears revealed by her hair, instead of curved they slanted backwards into points and were slightly longer. It actually wasn't strange to see people in these parts of the kingdom with abnormalities, gills on their faces, puppet bodies, or mouths on their hands; however, there was none that he recalled of ever having pointed ears. A memory long forgotten tried to come up but this time, instead of pushing it away he grasped at it.

_A dark room light by a single candle, towering books in the danger of falling surrounded him, old scrolls lay open around him but he paid it all no mind; his attention on the tall, pale figure with ebony hair, specter-like skin, yellow slit eyes surrounded by purple, and long tongue. _

_"Sasuke, do you believe they exist?" The serpentine man hissed out, a sardonic smile on his thin lips. _

_"Old wives tale," was his response as he wondered why he was called to this room. A low, sinister chuckle emitted from the man but he had long grown accustomed to it and no longer reacted to it._

_"Oh and what if I told you I met one."_

_"Then you did but I didn't."_

_"Hahaha! Oh Sasuke-kun, remember this…"_

That was all he could recall, the years had blurred the conversation he had deemed insignificant at the time but now he held back a curse as whatever Orochimaru had been about to tell him was somehow relevant to his servant origins.

"S-Sasuke-sama?"

Turning abruptly at the sound of a soft voice, he laid eyes on his servant who he hadn't seen in the past 2 weeks. Her azure hair was up in a loose chignon with her bangs covering most of her face, sleeves rolled up to her elbows as she gazed at him with a questioning look. Motioning to the book on the desk that was displaying the woman's drawings, he watched as she looked at it in confusion before realization sank in. As he studied her face he frowned at the deep dark bags under her eyes, their usual shining texture was dull and blank and… was she shaking? He studied her hands that gave involuntary twitches barely hearing her speak.

"O-oh that? I-It's m-my m-mother, Hinako H-Hyuga."

Eyes narrowing he noticed she was avoiding his gaze; it always bothered him when she did that. Walking forward he watched with unacknowledged growing concern as she flinched slightly away from him, something she hadn't done since her first days here.

"Look at me." He commanded as he closed in on her, when she didn't follow to obey his hand snapped to her neck to force her to look at him. Those bruises under her eyes due to lack of sleep stood out more prominently at this proximity and as he clamped his hand harder onto her fragile soft neck he watched as panic grew in then and… _fear_.

"Byakugan."

He deftly avoided her chakra laden strike as he ducked under it and let her go. This was certainly new; she had never shown fear besides the time he captured her temporarily in Tsukuyomi and she had never intentionally attacked him. He watched her with a calculating eye; her breathing was ragged, chest heaving, glazed eyes unfocused and panicked, hands poised for another attack: there was no control in those eyes, she wasn't really there merely acting on instinct. There was only one thing he could do as his magic clearly didn't work on her, as a matter of fact, he could feel it being sapped from him at the very moment. Chakra however, it was all too real and she herself could use it.

He blinked and his Sharingan activated but not the Mangekyo or its more advanced stage, after all he didn't want to kill her and for some reason Tsukuyomi or any type of genjutsu didn't work on her though they employed chakra. His hands flew into a seal and he shunshin behind her; only to block the strike to his throat but he let the strike to his heart connect before he exploded in a cloud of smoke to reveal a demolished log in his place.

"Kawarimi no Jutsu… Kaiten," Hinata whispered under her breath as she spun in place, chakra exuding from her to form a protective done around her to protect her from the balls of flame that went towards her. Unfortunately the Kaiten took out part of the wall but it also sent Sasuke flying out, however, he was able to slap an exploding tag next to her as he was knocked out from the room. His wings extended and caught a drift that enabled him to stay afloat instead of kissing dirt.

"Kai."

An explosion sent her jumping from the 2nd story room as she landed lightly on her feet due to her chakra. The explosion had been rather weak as she had been able to avoid it but that wasn't what was dangerous, the burning debris was. Using another Kaiten she sent the rather large piece of stone falling towards her head in Sasuke's direction, who destroyed it with one chakra filled punch. But it had been a distraction, his vision had been compromised due to the stone and he hadn't seen her run in his direction until she was right under him.

"Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!" He watched in mild awe as the same chakra field as before surrounded her but this time long chakra beams extended from her, long enough to reach him. His wings took most of the brunt of the attack but at least his organs were safe, which they wouldn't be soon if he crash landed to the ground as he was doing now. Landing with one foot on the ground, he could only dodge her attack as any other attack from him might kill her. Damn-it! Did he not have a non-lethal jutsu that would work that wasn't genjutsu? Guess not. His wings were currently feeling like lead as well as his arms but at least he could still mold chakra.

_'Time to end this.' _

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Balls of fire erupted from his mouth directed right at her but she only narrowed her eyes before spinning in place once more.

"Kaiten!"

Good, she was distracted for now and her Byakugan was not going to save her from this. Putting his hands together he flew through a familiar set of seals and soon enough a ball of blue white energy surrounded his right hand. As she came to stop Hinata watched, in slow motion to her eyes, as the ball exploded from the Kumo warrior's hand and towards all directions.

"Chidori Nagashi." She wouldn't be able to escape, nothing was faster than the speed of light, but she could take him with her.

"Hakke Kusho!" Her already extended arm was in his direction and as soon as those words left past her lips the lightning struck her, immobilizing her movements and sending her nervous system haywire as she collapsed in terrible pain. She felt as the darkness took over her vision but before she could close her eyes and slip into the comforting arms of unconsciousness, she saw the Kumo warrior fall from her attack. A small smile adorned her lips as she passed out, the only though resonating in her head, _'They won't ever take me, not ever again.'_

"Damn-it," Sasuke growled as he let loose some more colorful choice words as he stepped out from the small crater he had created when he fell due to the rather powerful thrust of chakra that came from Hinata. Walking towards her fallen form, he clutched his side as he was pretty sure a rib or two had cracked due to difficulty breathing, not to mention, that his body felt like lead due to most of his tenketsu points being sealed close.

_'See this is why I always fight to kill, not capture,'_ Sasuke grumbled in his mind, a new sense of respect to those who could capture people instead of just killing. Looking up to his glad, he was relieved to see that the palace was repairing itself, albeit slowly _really_ slowly, like one by one slow.

_'Probably due to her,'_ his thoughts spoke as he approached Hinata's downed figure. As he got closer he noticed her body was still twitching slightly but more frequently than before and she was covered by a slight sheen of sweat. Now usually he wouldn't pay this no mind as being hit by lightning would cause this to any person, however, there was something around her navel area; a black swirling oily mass that was being sucked into her body, magic. Only those who could use magic could see it and that was what he saw, the magic didn't seem to be hurting her and as a matter of fact he could detect known from her; was it being destroyed, stored, or transported? He didn't know and all he could do was watch as her twitched stopped just as all the magic over her disappeared into her. Passing a hand over her, he made a more thorough scan to check for magic but nothing showed up, as a matter of fact, his own magic cancelled the closer he got to her. Sighing he flew through more hand seals before his hands were engulfed in cool green medical chakra which he passed once more over her body before frowning in light of her wounds gained by his attacks.

Her nerves were in chaos sending mixed signals, there was a fractured arm, her hands were spit and swollen due to her strikes that hit him; his skin was like stone and as hard as well. Without further delay, he lifted her in his arms bridal style and took her inside to rest and recuperate from her wounds in another room.

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_AN: I am so sorry this is late but life is taking over. Though I would like to say I get paid to do this, alas, I do not so therefore though I love to write fanfic it's not a priority. I'm about to go to colloge, graduate from he- high school, and need to get a job... a real one. I will update but not as frequently and I might disappear for a while but fear not as this fic is written and will be finished XD Thank-you to all who reviewed, I love you all in a non-stalkerish way! Ja ne!_

_P.S how was the fight scene? Was it good? Would you guys have liked an explanation/translation of their moves? Was it believable? I'm sorry but I don't have much experience with fight scenes so some CC would be appreciated!_


	7. 栄枯盛衰 EiKoSeiSui

**Warning: This is an AU, will contain OOC-ness and mildly disturbing actions/thoughts/words**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Once Upon A Time (I have no idea why I ddn't say this before), or anything that might get me sued XP**

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_ (Flourish, wither, flourish, dicline.)_

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Hinata woke to an immense pain, hot searing pain burning her sides; it hurt more than the time when Neji had damaged her heart with a Jyuuken strike. It took more effort than needed just to open her own eyes and her throat was completely parched, she struggled to get up to soothe the accursed thirst that made it seem as if she was breathing in fire. As she got up she noticed that her sides burned but that there was a constant feel of pins and needles all over her body, were there were a bundle of nerves converged together it was more like something was trying to stab her there and that was not a pleasant feeling. With shaking hands she gripped the glass pitcher full of water by the side of the bed, however, the water sloshed around so much she set it back down and took deep breathes to calm her frayed nerves. When her trembling subsided she immediately grabbed the cup and poured generous amounts of water until she finished the whole thing in the matter of seconds. Sighing in relief she let a small smile adorn her features at the fact that she was awake before Sasuke. This night's nightmare was worse than the others, the ones that played with her memories usually were. Shaking her head to clear herself of her thoughts, she pushed herself off the bed but as soon as she put her weight on her legs she collapsed onto the floor; looking down, she paled.

_'I-I didn't go to sleep like this! …Wait; w-when did I fall asleep?' _Her thoughts became more frantic as she noticed that this wasn't her room and as she tried to remember when she fell asleep but couldn't recall anything just the horrid, horrid… night… mare. Her breathing hitched as she realized that maybe it wasn't a nightmare, maybe it was a memory; she groaned in realization: it had happened, _again_. The last time this had happened, she had almost turned her sister's brain to mush; when her nightmares blended in with her consciousness. It usually happened after she had foregone days of sleeping, due to said nightmares, then as she was doing something her surrounding would change slightly; it was the only indication that she was in a nightmare, she was basically almost sleepwalking except she had been conscious before. Her father had said it was something akin to genjutsu but not exactly as there was no chakra or magic involved.

As she discovered what had gone on her mind recalled the 'nightmare' from before.

_She stood at the entrance to her room, leaning heavily against it as her tired body begged for sleep that she couldn't give. Sasuke was looking at her from inside her room, hand motioned towards her drawings. Suddenly a ringing reverberated through her head and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain only to widen in shock once they opened; where Sasuke once stood, a Kumo warrior had now taken his place. Suddenly he was in front of her, reaching for her; no!_

_'Not again, never again,' were her thoughts before she activated her clan's coveted kekkei genkai and attacking her attacker._

_A fight, fire, pieces of rubble falling all around her, and a wave of lightning reaching towards her. Darkness. _

_An oppressing substance was all around her, covering her in its vile touch; it needed to go, right now! And it did, a cleansing power over took her body and wiped it all away until all that was left was a small bit right above her stomach before that too was cleansed away._

Suddenly the door opened and a figure rushed to her collapsed form. Before she could think about it, she delivered a punch towards the figure, only for her hand to get caught by a comforting familiar clawed hand. Blinking in surprise she looked up to gaze into apple red eyes with 3 black swirling tomoe.

"S-Sasuke-sama, I-I ohm… I'm sorry!" Though she was already kneeling on the floor she managed to bow slightly to him as she blushed furiously due to her actions. However due to her looking down she realizes what she was wearing; a large chemise, a chemise that looked a lot like Sasuke's, and it was made of a sheer material and that was _all_ that she was wearing. A half choked sort of sound escaped past her lips before she promptly fainted from the rush of blood to her head. Sasuke watched as she collapsed on the floor, a slight snort and a twitch of the lips the only indication of amusement to her reaction. He avoided his eyes from the more… prominent parts of her body visible and lifted her from the floor to settle her on the bed;

"Why is it, that I always seem to be carrying you," he whispered into her ear before stepping away from her and sending a slight jolt of static through her body to awaken her, thanks to his chakra.

Waking up with a gasp, Hinata threw a small glare at her master's stoic face; her nerves ending still hurt from the fight and it definitely did not help to have more electricity go through her body. Then she realized her legs were visible to his sight, the chemise barely covered her hips and other… parts. Again a furious blush overcame her features as she snatched the sheets underneath her and covered herself, she vaguely resembled a tomato. Sasuke liked tomatoes, a lot, snapping himself from his thoughts he was slightly proud that his gaze had never drifted from her face once; even when he had changed her. His hand tingled slightly from the remembrance such soft skin but he pushed it away. For a moment they just stared at each other, completely silent and hardly moving.

"W-what happened?" A snort from Sasuke was his initial response.

"You're strikes are too weak, you only broke one rib."

She cringed at his harsh bland tone, "I'm so- w-what!"

She had felt bad at first when he had chastised her but then she realized what exactly he had said and was shocked. Wasn't he angry that she had attacked him? Sasuke merely rolled his eyes at her and almost let a smirk through, key word _almost_.

"You obviously aren't well suited for the Jyuuken, it's too straight forward; here…" He threw her a scroll which she deftly caught, however, to do that she stretched upward and the sheets covering her fell down to her waist to reveal breasts molded against the sheer material of the chemise. He immediately looked away but the lust he felt since he first saw her didn't go away, it seems it never would.

"Practice that," he said, voice slightly strained and hoarse but he managed, "and come to me when you think you're ready so we can spar." Straightening from his leaning position by the wall he walked out the room as his head filled with inappropriate thoughts of her arching underneath him as she lay sprawled on top of his sheets. Yeah, he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Hinata watched him leave in mild confusion, was he in a rush to meet someone or was he concocting something that he left on the fire?

"Spar," she whispered underneath her breath as she looked at the scroll with even more confusion. So he wasn't angry, he even wanted her to improve… _why_? Shrugging it off for the moment, she broke the seal on the scroll and unraveled. Her eyes widened in astonishment at the images displayed; people in fighting stances, it was a water style taijutsu scroll, her elemental affinity. How did he know? Was he really able to tell that much just from one battle? She let a small smile escape as she looked at the door he had gone though."You really aren't as bad as you think."

* * *

Omake: 1st Snowfall (Imagine this chibified because I did)

Sasuke sighed in exasperation as it took a while for the fire to light up. It was freezing cold and getting even colder as the days slowly progressed towards winter. He wouldn't be surprised if one of these days he awoke to snow in the fireplace and flooding his veranda. He really needed to insulate the damn castle if it got like this every winter. Sighing once more he sat down and drank his tea as he awaited the results of his new potion; it would make people forgot their past life and change their personalities to the opposite of what they had been. HIs musing were interrupted when he heard a crash from somewhere in the castle. Most likely Hinata, he mused before getting up to investigate what happened this time.

Hinata was not having a good day; it was _cold,_ very, _very_ cold and she was sneezing way too much. As was proven when she was dusting armor that lay scattered around the castle and had promptly sneezed like crazy... which made her loose her balance, which in turn made her grab the armor for balance, which in turn made it fall, loudly, as it took her with it.

"What did you do?" Her head snapped back to see Sasuke leaning against the corner a twisting hallway. She was going to answer but instead a sneeze took hold, well more like 9.

"I-I was d-dusting and I s-sneezed only t-to lose my balance… the armor was in the way… so I grabbed it a-and it f-fell." Silence.

Shaking his head in exasperation he snapped his fingers and the armor got up on its own and marched to its position where it straightened itself and stood back. Hinata gaped at the display of magic, she was never going to get used to it no matter how long she stayed there.

"Are you done with the cleaning?"

"Y-yes."

"Come on."

Tilting her head in confusion she got up and dusted herself before following him. They walked in silence to a pair of doors that led outside. Opening them they walked out into the bitter cold of the barren landscape. Fall had gone and all the trees were bare as well as the ground since the grass had died. The sky was filled with ominous dark clouds that blocked the sun and only let grey light filter though, However, Hinata didn't mind any of this, she had been born in winter and though she was named for a sunny place she loved the white of winter, well not right now but she could appreciate the little things like the squirrels that scurried around as they dug for the food that they had hid during the winter.

"Look." She directed her attention to her master who stood at the edges of the woods, hand motioned towards the roots of a huge pine tree. She glanced inside and promptly squealed in delight; huddled there were two brown bunnies sleeping."I found them two days ago, but them in a cage, feed them then when their big enough… I want rabbit stew."

Hinata, who had been petting one, immediately threw a horrified glance at him. He merely raised a brow as if asking '_What, you got a problem with that? Deal with it._'

"B-but… look at them," she lifted one up with two hands until it was just right underneath her chin. Sasuke stared into big lavender eyes that glistened with soon to be tears, and as if that wasn't enough, the small brown bunny also had big dark eyes that shone as it wiggled its nose. It… was _too_ much. He directed his gaze away from them to look towards the dark woods.

"I don't care, they'll die anyway. Their mother isn't there and their too small to survive on their own. Better to make use of them."

"S-Sasuke-sama… please let me keep them as pets!" His head snapped towards her, those pearlescent orbs looked back at him steadily. They stared at each other for a while before something cold and wet landed on his cheek. They both looked up simultaneously too see thousands upon thousands of white flecks drifting down from the sky like heaven was cleansing the earth. He looked back at her and watched as she smiled at the sky and lifted a hand to catch the flakes of snow in her hands before they melted against her warm hands. They settled like stars on her hair and some even went on her eyelashes before they melted to just leave drops of dew on her that shone like crystals.

"Do what you want." He said and turned away. Suddenly he was tackled from behind.

"Thank you, Sasuke." He barely breathed as he felt small thin arms wrap around his waist and an equally small body pressed against his back. The small bit of warmth coming from her made him shiver a bit but he didn't pull away pleased that she, for once, hadn't addressed him with the usual honorific. That was when he realized she was shivering furiously. Turning to her he noticed she had no coat and at this time the snow was coming down hard, her hair was already damp. Tugging her hands from his waist, he removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. Blinking in surprise, Hinata looked at him, eyes wide in confusions and head tilted.

"It's cold, let's go inside." He turned away from her and marched towards the house. Hinata stood still for a moment before breaking out into a smile. Bending down she picked up the two bunnies and held clutched them to her. She truly loved when the white snow fell in winter.

* * *

_AN: I just felt like I needed to add this for no apparent reason... or maybe there is. I hate Sasuke, with a cold burning passion -_- like no joke I hate his guts he needs to die in the manga. I like him in fanfiction but in canon oh man you can count on me just PRAYING for him to die already. Sasuke is the epitome of a bastard or, in the words of one of my most favorite authors, a douchbag. I LOVE Itachi and after that last chapter, 590, there is no convincing me that he isn't an utter badass and whoever disagrees with me will DIE. I had the biggest fangirl moment after that and if fucking Sasuke doesn't change after that... hate won't even begin to cover what I feel for him._

_Now that my rant is done I have no idea WHY I like the pairing SasuHina so much. ItaHina is my OTP hands down but idk SasuHina is more... ugh I have no idea; maybe it's the whole redeeming the damned thing, or the whole forbidden-love/not-meant-to-be thing, or it could be that their children would look so adorable (seriously have you SEEN the fanart, I always die whenever I see it; cute is an understatement) but I just, it's more easier to write than ItaHina. :le sigh: Sorry for the late update but yeah this is how things are gonna be for a while so my bad. _

_P.S I am free from hel- I mean high school! Yeah! Review my peeps! XD_


	8. 雲の愛玩鳥の夢 Kumo No Aiganchō No Yume

**Warning: This is an AU, will contain some OOC-ness and mildly disturbing thoughts/actions/words**

**Disclaimer: WTF bro! Why do I have to do this shit constantly! We all know I don't own Naruto or anything else that might get me sued from the original. Shit lay off my sack already... okay I have no idea why I said that lol XD**

**This is more of an interlude than anything, things will pick up right after this in the next chapter. This is more to clear up some questions than anything else.**

* * *

_雲の愛玩鳥の夢 (Kumo no aiganchō no yume)  
The caged bird dreams of clouds.  
~Japanese Proverb_

* * *

_2 Months Later_

Hinata blinked in drowsiness before yawning and sitting up. She felt the press of wet grass against her hands but she was accustomed to awakening to it… well awakening to it in her dreams. Ever since she first stepped into Sasuke's palace she began to dream strange things, strange as it was always the same place she would 'wake up' to and meet with someone.

"Hinata?" Right one cue. Turning around she saw the face she had seen for the past 3 months.

"Who else would it be, Naruto-kun." The blonde smiled sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of his head at her words though she made sure to give him a reassuring smile.

"Sorry, it's just… sometimes I expect the _teme_ to show up as well. But… you did say that this wasn't his doing since magic doesn't work on you."

A small giggle left past her lips. Naruto and she had been meeting each other in this dreamscape from her first night here, at first she had thought he was just a figment of her imagination, but she would never come up with some like him. With further talk they learned something they both shared in common: Sasuke. He had asked, no demanded, she tell him where he was, but she was unable to tell him seeing as she had never left the palace she was in or even how the landscape looked like besides the surrounding mountains and a nearby village that she did not know the name of. After they had established that, they had begun to talk and now where friends in this place, this dream world. She was certain he existed somewhere else, somewhere important as his clothes were that of a prince, but she didn't know where and they were afraid to say too much as the first time they met a monster of sorts had attacked them. Anything could be watching them here so they could only exchange and talk of themselves and some stories. Nothing of Sasuke though, every time they did something snapped her from the dream or a monster would attack. She was certain it wasn't magic, so the only conclusion was chakra but there was none surrounding her or him every time she activated her Byakugan. They made of what they could before their time went and she slipped into the regular world of dreams. Today they were in the gardens of her old home, the white roses stark against the green grass but fitting for the blue sky that was much like her companion's eyes.

"Yes I did, Naruto-kun. How have you been?"

"All's good with me Hinata! Granny finally took a break so I had to take over for a while, dattebayo! It was awesome being ruler but the paper work, it's too much! What do we even need it all for?" He broke out into fake tears and she couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun; I'm sure you'll find some way to c-cut down on it all. You are very smart… in your own way; I'm sure you'll get used to it and make an amazing leader."

"Ha, ha, ha! Thanks Hinata but," his eyes darted all over the place before he leaned in conspiratorially towards her, "I already figured a way out, dattebayo!"

She laughed once more before hugging him briefly; he hugged her back and plopped down besides her. Together they watched the clouds pass by lazily, without a care in the world; like if he was no prince and she was not a slaved princess.

"So, what about you? Anything new happen?" He shot her a dazzling smile that she had become so used to now. It always made her feel lighter, happier, and more hopeful; she loved that smile of his, Naruto was a good person. She turned slightly towards him before biting her lip slightly. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing is wrong… I-it's just," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them slightly to peek at his curios face, "Remember that _he_ gave me a scroll, a taijutsu scroll?"

He nodded in acquiescence before a small look of understanding began to form. He motioned for her to continue though now he had some clue as to where she was getting at. His eyes shined in mischief and some nostalgia, the latter only if you looked closely. He need not ask who _he _was, they both knew to whom she referred to.

"I… I," she took another deep breath before exhaling loudly and steeling herself, "I am going to challenge him to a spar to test myself."

"Really? That's great Hinata!" He jumped up and pumped a fist in the air as he let loose an exuberant laugh. And just like that all her worries about not being strong enough to face Sasuke faded away.

_Surely, if Naruto-kun believes in me… I should as well."_

"Hey, hey, Hina-chan?" She snapped herself from her thoughts and faced the smiling blonde.

"Yes Naruto-kun?"

"Kick his ass for me will you?"

Everything was silent, as if anticipating her response, and she laughed. She laughed 'til her sides ached and she could breathe no more because as ridiculous as the request was, it meant much to her; for this prince, this warrior prince had asked her to fight for him to be his replacement.

"I will Naruto-kun." She answered him with a beautiful smile, eyes closed and face flushed from laughter.

The blonde prince could only smile back, eyes closed as well as he felt a familiar tugging at his naval that signified that their time was up. As he felt himself vanishing he opened his eye just as she did as well and they looked at each other. With no words at all they conveyed the message they wanted with their eyes.

_'Thank you.' _

They watched as each of the other disappeared slowly. First the hands, then the arms, the legs, the torso, the head; until all that was left was their eyes, until that too faded away and they went back to the land of dreams.

* * *

_AN: I would like to thank all of my reviwers. I LOVE you guys like seriously I do XD y'all make me so happy. **Saki-Hime**,** Lost-puppyEYES**, **umnia**, **dora-xy**, **lona1949**, **risen truth ruthless lies**, **anlmoon**, **mackyli** and my imouto **Serene-Aspiration723 **and** any other I forgot;** I'm sorry but know that I love y'all too! I gotta give 2 props to two reviewers though; **LeeRocks **and **narwhalsXD**. You guys just made my day with your epic-in-length reviews. Yeah I kinda went on a rant the last time so yeah my bad lol XD I'll try to be more open-minded about Sasuke but he just urgh :makes choking motion: we shall see, we shall see; I used to like him but now bleh I will try though! :burns with the power of youth!:_

_Oh btw this fic has hitten over +2K Hits! :blows kisses: I love you guys! In a purely platonic way of course XD It has beaten my NaruHina by 36 reviews though the # of chaps is the same. You guys are amazing, give y'all selves a cookie! Ja ne!_

_P.S I'm sorry for the late update but college :le sigh: C'est la vie. Ano… watashi no senkoo wa nihongo to kagaku (yeah that be in Hiragana so if you know it you know what I am currently aiming to major in :3 ja ne!)_


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